July 23, 2018
By Ned Kehde
On July 11, we published a gear guide about Savage Gear's 3D Baitfish. A reader commented that the 3D Baitfish Swimbait weighs a quarter of an ounce, which he thought was too heavy for Midwest finesse applications. In another comment, this reader said that the profile of the 3D Baitfish was too big to be a Midwest finesse bait.
But Bill Ward of Warsaw, Missouri, reported that a 2 3/4-inch stickbait affixed to a 1/16-ounce jig, which is a standard Midwest finesse bait, weighs a tad less than a quarter of an ounce.
Another Midwest finesse angler said that he suspects that a few of the soft-plastic finesse baits that he affixes to 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jigs weigh a quarter of an ounce or slightly more than a quarter of an ounce.
In regard to the reader's comment that the profile is too big, it should be pointed out that the 3D Baitfish Swimbait is adorned with a No. 6 hook, and the hook for the Paddletail model is a No. 4. In other words, if it possessed a large profile, it would sport bigger hooks than a No. 4 and No. 6.
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The world of Midwest finesse fishing is changing. Consequently, many of its modern-day devotees are using different rigs than the old-timers used, and Savage Gear's three-inch 3B Baitfish looks to be one of the newfangled rigs.
Endnotes
(1) Here is the link to the gear guide about the 3D Baitfish: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/savage-gears-3d-baitfish/#ixzz5Li9gxzIT.
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(2) Bill Ward is one of the forefathers of Midwest finesse fishing. He created the first marabou jig. He and his father, Virgil Ward, manufactured Chuck Woods' Beetle and Beetle Spin, which was the world's first stickbait or Senko-style bait. Here is a link to more information about Bill Ward and his father: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/legends-of-the-heartland/.